farther (adj.)

late 14c., "front;" variant of further (adj.). From 1510s as "additional;" 1560s as "more remote."

farther (adv.)

15c. alteration of Middle English ferther (c. 1300), a variant of further (adv.). There is no historical basis for the notion that farther is of physical distance and further of degree or quality.

also from 15c.

Entries linking to farther

further (adj.)

Old English furðra "further, greater, superior," probably a prehistoric derivative of further (adv.). Compare Old Frisian fordera, German vorder "that is before another." In early Middle English it also meant "earlier, former, previous;" a great-grandfather was a furþur ealdefader (12c.), and a previous wife was referred to legally as a forther wife.

Trends of farther

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

far

1), base of words for "through, forward," with extended senses such as "across, beyond" (source also of Sanskrit parah "farther..., remote, ulterior," Hittite para "outside of," Greek pera "across, beyond," Latin per "through," Old Irish ire "farther"...

after

.)) + -ter, a comparative suffix; thus the original meaning was "more away, farther off."...Cognate with Greek apotero "farther off," Old Persian apataram "further." From c. 1300 as "in imitation of."...

Hesperides

As knowledge increased with regard to western lands, it became necessary to move this paradise farther and farther out into...

outer

"that is farther out, that is exterior or external; of or pertaining to the outside; further removed," late 14c., comparative...

Indo-China

also Indochina, "Farther India, the region between India and China," 1815, from Indo- "India" + China....

beneath

in rank, degree, excellence, etc.," from be- "by" + neoðan "below, down, from below," from Proto-Germanic *niþar "lower, farther...

abaft

"in or farther toward the back part (of a ship)," as opposed to forward, 1590s, from Middle English on baft (late 13c.)...

imminent

1520s, from French imminent (14c.) and directly from Latin imminentem (nominative imminens) "overhanging; impending," present participle of imminere "to overhang, lean towards," hence "be near to," also "threaten, menace, impend, be at hand, be about to happen," from assimilated

volume

late 14c., "roll of parchment containing writing; a bound book," from Old French volume "scroll, book; work, volume; girth, size" (13c.) and directly from Latin volumen (genitive voluminis) "roll (of a manuscript); coil, wreath," literally "that which is rolled," from volvere "to

courage

c. 1300, corage, "heart (as the seat of emotions)," hence "spirit, temperament, state or frame of mind,"from Old French corage "heart, innermost feelings; temper" (12c., Modern French courage), from Vulgar Latin *coraticum (source of Italian coraggio, Spanish coraje), from Latin

Share farther

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/farther

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/farther">Etymology of farther by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of farther. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/farther

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of farther,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/farther.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of farther.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/farther. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of farther.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/farther (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on September 28, 2017

Remove ads >

Trending words

1. coincidence
2. cow
3. kind
4. avocado
5. papal
6. cult
7. caesar
8. moor
9. lunch
10. politics

Dictionary entries near farther

farrier

farrow

Farsi

far-sighted

fart

farther

farthest

farthing

farthingale

fartlek

fasces